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Apple Plans to Ditch Intel and Use Custom Mac Chips Starting in 2020

I've long thought Apple surely have macOS running on iPad hardware somewhere in the labs. Not because I have any inside information on that. Just because it would surely be delinquent for them *not* to. Even if only some junior geeks with access to the macOS source code and an iMac open on a bench, would surely do it as a bet. But even more likely that it would be an official effort. One of those contingencies, like them running OS X on Intel hardware for *years* before they announced the switch.

As someone who used to use Acorn Risc PCs back in the day, I have no doubt that an ARM-based desktop platform could be powerful enough. Windows via boot-camp or virtualisation more of a problem, but not if windows is *also* available for ARM64 just as I believe there's been related rumours of lately...
 
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cmaier said:
If you are saying ARM isn’t powerful enough for top end systems, that’s nonsense. “Power” is a function of the chip design, not the architecture. Apple could easily add more cores to the A10, bump up the clock speed a bit, increase the size of some buffers and caches, and use a better thermal solution, and compete quite well with current high end intel chips.
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Yes... they could do that.

Or Apple could design new "desktop-class" ARM processors from scratch.

I think everyone here is thinking Apple will put power-sipping iPad chips in a Mac. I'm not so sure though.

It's very possible that Apple's chip designers could be working on something entirely new.

Time will tell.
 
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ARM powered Macs could be made to exclusively take apps from the Mac app store - at least initially.

And the first target for conversion is easily the Retina MacBook with the 5w Y series Intel CPUs.
 
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yesjam said:
While I do have a degree of nostalgia for pre-Intel Macs, I think the incorporation of Intel chips within Apple computers was a net-positive for both consumers and for Apple. Not sure this would be the best move would that it were to happen.
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That was 12 years ago. How many apps have been replaced by the web browser. Also look at the millions of iOS apps that could be ported. Also if done correct then porting efforts would be minmal if the core MacOS would remain mostly the same.
 
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maflynn said:
Well, so it's beginning. I wonder how many people will choose to move on from Apple due to lack of X86 support. I for one will not be buying a Mac that I cannot run windows on
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Maybe Apple will a "Bridgecard" concept like Commodore did with the Amiga back in the 1980's. Basically have Intel hardware in a card that you connect to your Thunderbolt 3 (or 4) port that gives you hardware based compatibility for your Intel based operating systems (Windows, Linux, etc).
 
Rogifan said:
If someone is buying Macs specifically to run Windows they’re doing it wrong.
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I don't do that, but I actually think that up until a few years ago that would have been a reasonable move to make. Mac hardware used to be better than PC hardware, so one could buy a Mac for the hardware and run Windows on it for the software.
 
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sublunar said:
ARM powered Macs could be made to exclusively take apps from the Mac app store - at least initially.

And the first target for conversion is easily the Retina MacBook with the 5w Y series Intel CPUs.
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Why would anyone buy this hypothetical restricted Mac instead of an iPad?

What makes Macs better than iPads is that they are fully general purpose computers, that can run software from anywhere, and that you can develop your own software on without restrictions.

If you don't have that ability, you might as well just use an iPad.
 
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maflynn said:
Well, so it's beginning. I wonder how many people will choose to move on from Apple due to lack of X86 support. I for one will not be buying a Mac that I cannot run windows on
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32bit apps and windows support are arcane features best left in the past.

Especially for future Macs, I would rather Apple put all their effort into newer technologies and not dedicate resources to old dying platforms from competitors.
 
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lyngo said:
Wow! I remember the transition from power PC chips to Intel. Yes, I am that old and have been around Apple that long. This will be quite the transition similar to that time.

Frankly put, I’m excited especially with some of the business decisions Intel has been making as of late.
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You must also remember Apple had probably 5% market share and no software. Going backwards to having to make choice, Microsoft vs Apple. Is this their attempt to try and lock consumers in to their ecosystem and can only use Apple products.
 
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ftaok said:
Yeah, well I'm older than you (probably) and I remember the transition from the 68k to the PowerPC. Yes, I fart out dust.

All kidding aside, I see this as a good thing ... if it happens. No more stagnation waiting for the next Intel chip suitable for whatever Mac design Apple has planned.
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Hopefully less vulnerabilities...
 
I wouldn't mind, but I'm assuming that means things like Parallels would either not work or not perform well?
 
Using both PowerPC and Intel chips...this is an interesting rumor. On the other hand i think apple has come a long way with their CPU design to move away. On the flip side, id avoid buying those new macs until 2-3 refreshes down the road - they might just also release intel based macbook's/imacs on the side.
 
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